Re-Launch: Secret Bunker Celebrates 20 Years with Refurbishment

Scotland’s Secret Bunker, a Cold War nuclear command centre, will be re-opening its 3 tonne blast proof doors to the public once again this weekend, after undergoing an extensive restoration project over the winter months.

The Cold War museum, which is situated just five minutes from St Andrews in Fife, closed for the winter and has carried out extensive refurbishment ahead of its 20th Anniversary celebrations this year.

Opened to the public in 1994, after being decommissioned in the late 1980s following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of nuclear threat, the bunker is now one of Fife’s major tourist attractions welcoming tens of thousands of visitors through its blast doors every year.

One room which has been extensively remodelled was the British Telecom equipment room where never-seen before areas have now been revealed, allowing Cold War (and, indeed, telecoms) enthusiasts to see the specialist communications equipment which were in operation to distribute the 2800 phone lines connected to the bunker, and which would have been the main line of communication with the outside world in the event of a nuclear attack on Scotland.

“We are really excited about our 20th anniversary year and to be re-opening this spring with a fresh look to all our exhibits. Over the years we have had many artefacts given to us, or have acquired them from other decommissioned bunkers, and we felt it was time for a fresh look at how everything was being presented. We’ve invested in a series of information screens throughout the museum which will help bring the bunker to life for our visitors, in addition to our audio tour which explains the history of the bunker in full.

“We’re also very excited about being able to extend and show off areas of the bunker that may have never been seen before. Recently a whole host of television programmes marked 30 years from when we were, literally, on the brink of a nuclear war. Since the bunker only opened to the public 20 years ago, people are amazed at just how recent and real the threat was, and just how prepared we were. We are really looking forward to welcoming our first visitors this Saturday and their feedback on our improvements.”

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